Skip to main content

Thanks, Universe

As if any of us needed reminding:

When the pandemic began I think I was, like most people, reading everything I could about it. That turned into daily rituals of checking the numbers and the news articles every morning, noon and night. I began distancing myself and my guy as best I could from the rest of the world, and created new hygiene routines when I couldn't. I tried to be upbeat and positive when I felt like crawling under the bed, which was every day because I felt helpless. I couldn't even quilt. I stopped sleeping. I wrestled with my job and my household chores, and otherwise walked around in a perpetual state of jumpy exhaustion, if there is such a state.

I knew I couldn't keep that up, so I made an effort to change my response to this mess. I tried small things first. I got creative with cooking, and rediscovered some old favorite recipes I haven't made in forever. When we went shopping I kept an eye out for scarce supplies that I knew my kids needed, and bought them when I found them. In these times nothing says I love you like a six-roll pack of toilet paper, or a box of diapers, or a bottle of hand sanitizer. Feeling useful felt very good, and I focused on that. Since I couldn't quilt I started sewing cloth masks and offering them to family and friends. I did some little sewing projects. I also stopped reading all the news and stayed off the internet except for writing blog posts and e-mails.

I'm not back to normal for me, but I finally feel like I'm heading in that direction now. What have I done this week? I started gathering the things I'll need to make a birthday quilt for my grandson. I baked cookies for my daughter, my guy, and a family friend. I gave Kat that refill bottle of hand soap that she loves, which really made her happy. I even ordered myself some new shorts from Target as summer is here. Plus I donated all my old shorts to Goodwill last winter (nothing I had fit my greatly reduced backside anymore.)

I'm not oblivious to the pandemic. I do still check the numbers once a day, but only in the morning, and only for my county. This morning Lake County had 277 cases. I don't intend to be #278, so I'll continue to be careful by practicing social distancing, wearing masks and keeping up the anti-virus hygiene. But while I'm here, and healthy, and able to do something, I will be making myself useful, and enjoying my family and friends.

So thanks for the reminder, Universe, but I think I'm good now.

Labels:

Comments

nightsmusic said…
The only news I listen to is WJR 760 on the AM dial. I can't take the media because I no longer trust 99% of it. I'm trying to do those things that make me and my family happy while trying to keep us all safe. I can't do more than that.
May 28, 2020 at 6:04 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holiday Prep

For Thanksgiving this year we've invited some guests from Oliver's mom's side of the family, so I have to start prepping now to get the house in shape for the big day. The first major thing is having the carpets cleaned, which we've scheduled for next week. This weekend I'll be cleaning out four rooms to get them ready for that. I started with my front dining room, which I use as my sewing room. It was kind of a mess already, so it felt good to get everything cleared out. We'll be having ten people at dinner plus two babies, so this will give me a chance to figure out how to arrange two tables in this space. I think this will be my last time hosting a big Thanksgiving gathering. Mike has started his family with a lovely girl who has a huge, close-knit family of her own, while Katherine will likely be off at grad school out of state for the next several years. I'm also not getting any younger. My guy and I will always celebrate Thanksgiving, but ...
6 comments
Read more

T-minus Day

This was our little Thanksgiving dinner last year, when it was just the three of us. Time keeps whittling down my favorite holiday; this year it will be just me and my guy, and we likely won't even have a turkey.* That will be a first in 35 years. I feel about Thanksgiving the way other people do about Christmas, and while it's a lot of work it's my favorite holiday. Of all the Thanksgivings I've had in the past sixty years, only three were truly terrible: one when I was a kid that I don't talk about (#1 most miserable); the time I roasted two turkeys together and hosted fifteen people whom I cooked for and served with zero help (the largest and #2 most miserable); and the one I spent in basic training (the #3 most miserable.) I have no pictures of any of those, thank heavens. In addition to doing all the cooking I'm the one who takes all the pictures, washes all the dishes and puts away all the leftovers. I suppose no one else cares because to them it...
5 comments
Read more

Fell Off the Wagon

I did cut up that plastic dollar tote to make into something stronger, but got caught up with work and set it aside. Then last night some hand-dyed silk and pretty threads called my name, and, well . . . Felt SO good to do some handwork, except my neck began hurting about an hour into it. I tried changing the way I sit and work, but it's pretty obvious that the doc is right.
7 comments
Read more